Environmental Science

This course will give you knowledge of Environmental Science from biological and geographical perspectives. You’ll study core topics such as ecology, environmental management and sustainability, and you’ll be able to choose from a range of optional areas to design a programme of study to suit your interests and career aspirations.

You’ll be able to specialise in such areas as aquatic environments, environmental protection and conservation, science communication, and earth systems. Optional topics include marine biology, climatology, sustainable development, river and coastal management, environmental hazards, environmental consultancy, and biodiversity assessment.

There will be opportunities to participate in residential field trips, both in the UK and overseas.

Year one
Environmental science is a broad field of study and at Bath Spa it’s studied from two related perspectives – biological and geographical. You’ll cover both these aspects in your core first year modules, along with ecology and biodiversity.

Year two
You’ll study critical aspects of environmental science in more depth – in particular ecology and conservation, environmental management and sustainability. There’s also a wide range of further topics to choose from, either building your course around your particular career aspirations, or keeping your options open with a more general approach. Topics include microbial applications and biotechnology, biodiversity, river and coastal systems, environmental hazards, climate change and sustainability, and science communication.

You’ll have plenty of opportunity to do practical work in the field and laboratory, and you also have the opportunity to further enhance your employability skills with a work placement.

The optional field trip to Italy offers a unique opportunity to explore geographical themes in a highly dynamic, real-world context. On this trip you’ll learn about a range of topics such as earthquake disasters, flood hazards, air quality and pollution, climate change impacts and vulnerabilities, regional development, sustainability and urban geographies. You’ll also have opportunities to experience the regional diversity, food and culture of Italy.

Please note that some of our field trips may incur additional costs on top of your course fees. Financial support for field trip costs may be available via the Bath Spa University International Travel Fund.

Year three
You’ll choose a subject to research in-depth through your dissertation, and select optional modules from topics as wide-ranging as animal behaviour, nature conservation, climatology, marine biology, plants and people, digital imaging, development and disasters, and coastal and river management.

You’ll also continue to develop your practical skills with project work on campus and residential field trips in the UK and abroad. You can also bring in modules from other areas if you want to develop interests in managing sustainability, science publishing, preparing to be a freelancer or starting your own business.

An optional field trip to Spain allows you to study topics such as urban development, wildfires and cascading hazards, social inequalities, urban sustainability policies, city planning, coastal erosion, nationalism and independence movements, heat waves, Olympic legacies or urban flood risks.

You’ll generally be assessed by a mixture of coursework and examination.

We offer an excellent learning environment with small class sizes. Staff and students are on first name terms and you’ll be assigned an Academic Advisor from day one. We get you out of the classroom and into the environment as much as possible, so you can develop practical skills that are highly valued by employers.

You’ll be taught in relevant, challenging and interesting ways, including lectures, laboratory practicals, seminars, simulations of professional practice, fieldwork-based projects, tutorials, and interpretation exercises. You’ll be taught by professionals who are trained to teach and who will bring their own research and industry based experience to the course.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

Fieldwork and practical work is an important part of the course – you’ll go beyond the lecture theatre to study a range of environments and habitats. Many are available on site as our Newton Park campus has a rich variety of terrestrial and aquatic environments. We also offer opportunities to venture further afield, in day-long and residential field trips in the UK and beyond. Please note some of these activities may have additional costs.

Short-term work experience is available in the optional Work Placement module in your second year. A year-long placement in professional practice is available within our sandwich degree. Our students have worked with organisations such as Somerset Earth Science Centre, Snowdonia National Park Authority, local environmental records centres, professional environmental consultancy companies including Ecosulis, Nicholas Pearson Associates, Johns Associates Ltd and Kier, county Wildlife Trusts, and Mankwe Wildlife Reserve in South Africa.

Students have gone into roles including Assistant Ecological Consultant, Land Management and Conservation Adviser, Policy Adviser at Defra, and Waste Awareness Officer. Example employers include:

• Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
• Bath and North East Somerset Council
• Ecosulis ecological consultancy
• Soil Association
• The Environment Agency
• Natural England
• Ministry of Defence
• Office for National Statistics
• Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]
• EDF Energy

Many graduates have gone on to postgraduate programmes, leading to a teaching qualification (PGCE), MSc or PhD.

Each year we award prizes to our students. These are: Best Environmental Science student (at each of years one, two and three), and for our graduating cohort, Oxford University Press Achievement in Biosciences Prize, Royal Society of Biology Top Student Award, and the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) Outstanding Student in Wastes Management Award.

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

You'll be taught at our Newton Park campus. You'll have access to a range of facilities including our:

• Newton Park Library
• Laboratories
• Virtual Learning Environment

A wide range of analytical instruments, field and mapping equipment, and ICT resources are available for Environmental Science students.

You'll also have access to Newton Park Library our digital mapping platform that compiles environmental data collected by students, staff and the public from across our University campuses.